The Tasmania Jewels will be out to harness history and the energy of a sold-out home crowd when they make their WNBL debut.
Thursday night's season opener will feature the league's newest team against the Geelong Venom at Hobart's 4,200-seat MyState Bank Arena.
Tasmania's squad soaked up some basketball history on Tuesday, hearing from Fiona Moore and Jo Nyhouse, former players at the defunct Hobart Islanders, and ex-assistant coach Ross Park.
The Islanders competed in the WNBL from 1986-96 and won a championship in 1991.
Vice-captain Keely Froling's mother Jenny was part of the championship side, while father Shane was also a player, representing four NBL teams.
"It’s really special to honour our past and where we’ve come from," Froling said.
"Speaking to Mum the other day, she was sending through some photos. They loved their time in Tassie in the ‘90s and it's cool I’ve made it (my) home as well."
Jewels coach Claudia Brassard has had just six weeks of pre-season with her squad, which will start underdogs against pre-season competition winners Geelong.
They'll also be without key import Madina Okot, with Froling expected to pick up extra minutes.
Tasmania lost their two pre-season games to the Adelaide Lightning and Sydney Flames - the bottom two teams last season.
Froling said the Jewels would channel the Tasmania JackJumpers, who won the NBL in their third season and are beloved across the island.
"We know it’s going to take us some time. It’s not always going to be really pretty," Froling said.
"But similar to the Jackies, we’re going to play hard and keep going no matter what is happening."
Brassard said the support around Tasmania had been special and the team had spoken of embracing the sold-out crowd and not being overawed.
"A few of us have been to JackJumpers games and we understand how loud and amazing the crowd can be," she said.
"It’s such a statement by Tasmania. I'm unbelievably proud and really emotional about it. I don't think you’d find anything like this anywhere else in the country."
During the Islanders' 1991 campaign, the side played at a suburban court that was filled beyond capacity and prompted emergency services to station themselves outside in case something went wrong, Park said.
"No one was brave enough to say you had to leave," he said.
"We were all shattered when the Islanders folded. There were a lot of tears. But this is new beginning."
